Socket-wrench.



T.. R. DUNLAP. SOCKET WRENCH. APPLICATION FILED ocr. 2a. 1915.

l ,l 88,918. PatenIeII June 27, 1916.

.E I@ O l G 6 v,5 l l/ lo I /5 o @l I lo h 5 /l o o l O E 6 THOMAS R. DUNLAP, OF LANSDOWNE, PENNSYLVANIA.

sooner-WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1916.

Application filed October 23, 1915. Serial No. 57,498.

I further desire to provide an adjustable socket wrench including jaws of such design as to permit of their application to a nut even though the latter should lie within a relatively narrow depression or recess of the structure which it engages, the construction and arrangement of the parts of the wrench being such as to reduceto a minimum the likelihood of its gettingl out of order under conditions of use.

These objects and other advantageous ends I secure as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a socket wrench constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the wrench shown in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the wrench; and Fig. Ll is a perspective view of one of the adjustable jaws.

In the above drawings, 1 represents a conical. head having a rearwardly extending cylindrical portion 2 including a threaded part 3 and terminating in a more or less elongated stem 4 whose extremity has fixed to it or is formed as part of, a cross bar 5 constituting a handle. Slidable on the cylindrical portion 2 is a flanged collar 6 from whose rear face project apair of oppositely disposed fingers 7 extending around a nut 8 which is operative on the threaded portion 3. The external cylindrical surface of this nut is knurled and the fingers are so arranged that while it is free to rotate independently of the collar 6, this latter is necessarily moved longitudinally of the p0rtion 2, with the nut when this latter is turned. A flange or collar 9 is ixed to the stem of the wrench at the rear end of the threaded portion 3 so as to retain the nut 8 and collar G thereon.

The flange of the collar 6 is provided with State of radial notches for the reception of the rear ends of links 1() pinned or pivoted thereto and `having their forward ends similarly pinned to the rear ends of jaws 11, which are-disposed in converging lines upon the head. Each of said jaws as shown in Fig. 4, is approximately flat and elongated with a short flat portion of its forward end bent at an obtuse angle to its body, while one of its faces has a longitudinally extending under-cut groove of dove-tailed section. Each of these grooves is designed to slidably fit a similarly formed under-cut rib 12 on the conical surface of the head 1, and all of said ribs lie parallel with the elements of said surface so that the jaws move in converging lines. Under operative conditions when the nut 8 is turned on the threaded portion 3 so that it is as near as possible to the head. the collar 6 occupies such a position that through the links 10, the jaws 11 are held in their most forward positions in which the polygon outlined by their end portions 18has a minimum area.`

' By running the nut 8 back On the threaded portion 3, the collar 6 is drawn rearwardly and through the links 10 rearwardly moves the jaws 11, causing them to slide in diverging lines determined by their respective under-cut ribs and separating their parallel end portions 13 so that the polygon defined by them increases in area until it is a maximum when the nut 8 has drawn the collar G to a position in which the inturned ends of these fingers 7 strike or lie immediately adjacent to the collar 9. Obviously therefore the jaws may be adjusted to receive any nut having a polygonal outline whose area lies between those defined by said jaws when in their two extreme adjusted positions.

The actual shape of the polygon defined by the jaws, as well as the number and form of the latter may be indefinitely varied without departing from my invention, the arrangement illustrated being particularly designed to fit hexagonal nuts. Since the end portions 13 of the jaws are relatively thin and extend for a suitable distance in parallel planes, the nut engaging structure or socket formed by them may be inserted and caused to engage nuts lying in depressions or holes where the entrance of wrenches of the ordinary construction would be diiicult or impossible.

When the wrench is rotated by means of its handle to screw a nut on or oli' of a bolt,

the jaws are held in place against the resulting torsional stress by reason of the undercut construction of their grooves and of the ribs on the truste-conical head l on which they slide, it being noted that the proper* tions of these parts are made to depend upon the work for which the wrench is designed. It is also obvious that it is immaterial whether the ribs are formed on the jaws or whether they project from the surface of the head and enter grooves in the jaws.

I claim 1. The combination in a socket wrench of a head; jaws slidable on the outside surface of said head and defining a geometrical figure; and means 'or adjusting said jaws on the head to cause them to vary the area of the figure defined.

2. The combination in a socket wrench of a conical head; jaws slidable in converging lines upon the outside surface of 'said head and defining a geometrical figure; means for adjusting said jaws on the head to vary the area of the figure defined; and a handle for turning the head.

3. The combination in a socket wrench of a head; jaws slidable thereon in converging lines and having ends formed to define a geometrical ligure; a stem rigidly connected to said head; with a member adjustable on the stem and operatively connected to the jaws for moving them on the head to vary the area of the figure defined by their ends.

4. The combination in a socket wrench of head; a stem rigidly connected thereto and having a threaded portion; a plurality of jaws slidable on the head in converging lilies; a nut mounted on the threaded part of the stem; with a member movable longitudinally of. said stem when the nut is turned and operatively connected to the jaws.

5. The combination in a socket wrench of a head; a plurality of jaws slidable thereon in converging lines and having portions defining a geometrical figure; a stem attached to said head; a collar slidable on the stem; links connecting said collar to the jaws respectively; and means for moving the collar on the stem to move the jaws on the head and vary the area oit' the figure defined by them.

6. The combination in a socket wrench of' a head; a plurality of jaws slidable thereon in converging lines and having portions defining a geometrical figure; a stem attached to said head; a collar slidable on the stem; links connecting said collar to the jaws respectively; and means for moving the collar on the stem to cause the jaws to slide on the head to vary the area of the figure defined by them; said means consisting of a nut mounted on the threaded portion of the stem and operative on the collar.

7. The combination in a socket wrench of a head; a series of jaws having tongue and groove connections therewith and mounted with one set of their adjacent Vends in positions to define a geometrical ligure; a stem connected to the head; and means adjustable longitudinally of the stem for moving the jaws on the head to vary the area of the figure defined by their ends.

8. The combination in a socket wrench of a truste-conical head; a stem connected thereto; a series of jaws having dovetailed connections with the head and slidable thereon in converging lines, certain ends of said jaws defining a geometrical figure; with means for adjusting the jaws on the head to vary the area of said figure.

9. The combination in a socket wrench of a 'truste-conical head having under-cut converging ribs on its curved surface; jaws provided with grooves slidably fitting said ribs and formed with their ends bent at an angle to their bodies to define a geometrical figure; with means for moving the aws relatively to the head to vary the size of the figure defined by the ends of said jaws.

10. The combination in a socket wrench of a head; a stem connected thereto and having a threaded portion; a collar slidable on Vsaid stem and having fingers; a nut operative on a threaded portion of the stem and embraced by said fingers; jaws slidable on the head in converging lines; and links connecting said jaws with the collar.

ll. The combination in a socket wrench of a truste-conical head; a stem connected thereto and having a cylindrical and a threaded portion; a handle connected to said stem; a nut operative onrthe threaded portion of the stem; a collar slidable on the cylindrical portion and connected to said nut; jaws slidable on the head in converging lines; with links connecting each of said jaws to the collar.

THOMAS R. DUNLAP.

Copies of this patent may lbe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

